On May 27, 2018, the heartbreaking news was that Gardner Dozois had suddenly died in a hospital of an infection at the age of seventy. This month Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine has published an issue that‘s a tribute to him.

As most people in the science fiction and fantasy business know, Dozois was the editor of Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine for quite a number of years, the editor of the indispensable Year’s Best Science Fiction anthologies for an astounding thirty-seven years, and a published writer himself, most recently with stories in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, the January-February 2018 issue with “Neanderthals“ (my story in that issue was “Aurelia”) and the May-June 2018 issue with “Unstoppable” (my story in that issue was “The Bicycle Whisperer”).

Back at the beginning of my writing career, Dozois acquired four stories of mine for Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, enabling me to build a publishing resume that served as a platform for me to sell my first novel, Arachne, to William Morrow in hardcover, in trade paperback by Eos, in mass market paperback by AvoNova, and in another new trade paperback edition and ebook by Bast Books. Nine novels have followed, a short story collection, several screenplays, and a major movie deal based on my short story, “Tomorrow’s Child”, published in Omni Magazine. A new SF novel, CHROME, is forthcoming.

I’m eternally grateful to Gardner for giving me a chance back in the day. Although Asimov’s, the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, and Analog are small-format magazines, don’t pay much, and have limited distribution, the competition among writers—even established writers with many novels to their names—to be published in those forums is fierce.

I met Gardner only briefly three times, after I’d sold stories to him—once at the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Author-Editor Reception in New York; a second time at the WorldCon in San Francisco; and a third time at the WorldCon in Los Angeles. He was gracious and friendly on all three occasions (which frankly I can’t say about some people in the business). Countless other writers and editors deemed him a dear friend and a regular at Science Fiction World Conventions (“WorldCons”) and other venues. A lively fixture who will be greatly missed.

Finally, Gardner bought “Hummers,” about a woman dying of cancer who learns to reconcile herself to her impending death through Egyptian magic and the hummingbirds who visit her feeder. I remember walking up to Gardner at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in San Francisco, where he sat in the lobby at a table with a bunch of editors and thanking him for buying “Hummers.” And he said, loud enough for everyone to hear, “That was a good story.” “Hummers” was nominated for the Nebula Award (the late Roger Zelazny voted for it) and chosen for the Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror 5th Annual Collection (St. Martin’s Press). The award-winning Terri Windling, one of the editors of the anthology, wrote a beautiful introduction. I’ve published the short story as an ebook on BarnesandNoble, US Kindle, Canada Kindle, UK Kindle, Apple, Kobo, and Smashwords. Also on Kindle in Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, and India.

So there you have it, my friends. Another great talent has crossed over the rainbow bridge.

Have you ever wondered what would happen in a catastrophic earthquake? Read SHAKEN for one woman’s experience.

Emma “J” for Joy Pearce is working at her editorial offices on the twenty-second floor of Three Embarcadero in downtown San Francisco when the long-dreaded next Great Earthquake devastates the Bay area. Only the disaster is worse than anyone could have imagined.

Amid horrific destruction, Emma rescues a man trapped in the rubble. In the heat of survival, she swiftly bonds with him, causing her to question her impending marriage to her long-time boyfriend.

But Jason Gibb is not the charming photojournalist he pretends to be. As Emma discovers his true identity, his mission in the City, and the dark secrets behind the catastrophe, she finds the choices she makes may mean the difference between her own life or death.

“Very scary. And remarkable.” Barry N. Malzberg, author and critic

SHAKEN is an ebook adaptation (and expansion into short novel form) of “Deus Ex Machina”, published in Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, republished in the anthology Transcendental Tales From Asimov’s (Donning Press), translated into German and published in Gogols Frau, and translated and republished in magazines worldwide.

A list of Sources is included in the ebook.

Of The Gilded Age, the New York Times Book Review said, “A winning mixture of intelligence and passion.”

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Have you ever been in a big earthquake? Read SHAKEN for one woman’s experience.

Emma J for Joy Pearce is at her editorial offices on the twenty-second floor of Three Embarcadero in downtown San Francisco when the long-dreaded next Great Earthquake devastates the Bay area.

Amid horrific destruction, she rescues a man trapped in the rubble. In the heat of survival, she swiftly bonds with him, causing her to question her impending marriage to her long-time boyfriend.

But Jason Gibb is not the charming photojournalist he pretends to be. As Emma discovers his true identity, his mission in the city, and the dark secrets behind the catastrophe, she finds the choices she makes may mean the difference between her own life or death.

SHAKEN is an ebook adaptation (and expansion into short novel form) of Deus Ex Machina, published in Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, republished in the anthology Transcendental Tales From Asimov’s (Donning Press), and translated and republished in magazines worldwide.

A list of Sources is included in the ebook.

Of The Gilded Age, the New York Times Book Review said, “A winning mixture of intelligence and passion.”

Have you ever been in a big earthquake? Read SHAKEN for one woman’s experience.

Emma J for Joy Pearce is at her editorial offices on the twenty-second floor of Three Embarcadero in downtown San Francisco when the long-dreaded next Great Earthquake devastates the Bay area.

Amid horrific destruction, she rescues a man trapped in the rubble. In the heat of survival, she swiftly bonds with him, causing her to question her impending marriage to her long-time boyfriend.

But Jason Gibb is not the charming photojournalist he pretends to be. As Emma discovers his true identity, his mission in the city, and the dark secrets behind the catastrophe, she finds the choices she makes may mean the difference between her own life or death.

SHAKEN is an ebook adaptation (and major expansion into short novel form) of Deus Ex Machina, published in Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, republished in the anthology Transcendental Tales From Asimov’s (Donning Press), and translated and republished in magazines worldwide.

A list of Sources is included in the ebook.

Of The Gilded Age, the New York Times Book Review said, “A winning mixture of intelligence and passion.”

Have you ever been in a big earthquake? Read SHAKEN for one woman’s experience.

Emma J for Joy Pearce is at her editorial offices on the twenty-second floor of Three Embarcadero in downtown San Francisco when the long-dreaded next Great Earthquake devastates the Bay area.

Amid horrific destruction, she rescues a man trapped in the rubble. In the heat of survival, she swiftly bonds with him, causing her to question her impending marriage to her long-time boyfriend.

But Jason Gibb is not the charming photojournalist he pretends to be. As Emma discovers his true identity, his mission in the city, and the dark secrets behind the catastrophe, she finds the choices she makes may mean the difference between her own life or death.

SHAKEN is an ebook adaptation (and major expansion into short novel form) of Deus Ex Machina, published in Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, republished in the anthology Transcendental Tales From Asimov’s (Donning Press), and translated and republished in magazines worldwide.

A list of Sources is included in the ebook.

Of The Gilded Age, the New York Times Book Review said, “A winning mixture of intelligence and passion.”

Yep, we had an earthquake this last Monday at about quarter to seven in the morning. A loud BANG, the seismic closet doors rattled vigorously, then it was over. The ones that last a second or so are much easier to take than the long rollers, which are pretty nerve-wracking. No damage was done aside from a picture that swung a bit askew. Athena ran and hid beneath my night table.

I remember when I moved to San Francisco from the Midwest to take a job as an attorney in a law firm. Our offices were on the twenty-second floor of Two Embarcadero. The very first day I nervously reported in to work, the San Francisco Chronicle ran a front-page story. Seems some wags down at Stanford University ran a computer simulation of what would happen to the city if the Big One struck. They reported that Two Embarcadero, and all of the Embarcadero Center, would sink in the landfill the skyscrapers were situated on up to the twenty-first floor. “Cool,” the guys were joking. “We’ll break the plate glass and just walk out.”

That was so funny, I forgot to laugh.

The earthquake yesterday morning was only a four-pointer. The reason we felt it so strongly is that the epicenter was on the Hayward Fault in the Oakland Hills. Below Piedmont. Hilarious.

And reminded me of SHAKEN:

Emma J for Joy Pearce is at her editorial offices on the twenty-second floor of Three Embarcadero in downtown San Francisco when the long-dreaded next Great Earthquake devastates the Bay area.

Amid horrific destruction, she rescues a man trapped in the rubble. In the heat of survival, she swiftly bonds with him, causing her to question her marriage to her long-time boyfriend.

But Jason Gibb is not the charming photojournalist he pretends to be. As Emma discovers his true identity, his mission in the city, and the dark secrets behind the catastrophe, she finds the choices she makes may mean the difference between her own life or death.

SHAKEN is an ebook adaptation (and major expansion into short novel form) of Deus Ex Machina, published in Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, republished in the anthology Transcendental Tales From Asimov’s (Donning Press), and translated and republished in magazines worldwide.

A list of Sources is included in the ebook.

Of The Gilded Age, the New York Times Book Review said, “A winning mixture of intelligence and passion.”

Huge sympathies to everyone in Napa, California. Have you ever been in a big earthquake? Read SHAKEN for one woman’s experience.

Emma J for Joy Pearce is at her editorial offices on the twenty-second floor of Three Embarcadero in downtown San Francisco when the long-dreaded next Great Earthquake devastates the Bay area.

Amid horrific destruction, she rescues a man trapped in the rubble. In the heat of survival, she swiftly bonds with him, causing her to question her marriage to her long-time boyfriend.

But Jason Gibb is not the charming photojournalist he pretends to be. As Emma discovers his true identity, his mission in the city, and the dark secrets behind the catastrophe, she finds the choices she makes may mean the difference between her own life or death.

SHAKEN is an ebook adaptation (and major expansion into short novel form) of Deus Ex Machina, published in Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, republished in the anthology Transcendental Tales From Asimov’s (Donning Press), and translated and republished in magazines worldwide.

A list of Sources is included in the ebook.

Of The Gilded Age, the New York Times Book Review said, “A winning mixture of intelligence and passion.”